Rail-joint.



M. F. TRENCHARD.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1908.

903,027. Patented Nov.3, 1908.

5] vwe n to a Nanrhall Fmchmd MARSHALL F. TRENCHARD, OF PRATTSBURG, NEW YORK.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed May 19, 1908. Serial No. 438,759.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL F. TRENOH- ARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prattsburg, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in RailJoints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, the object of the invention being to provide a novel construction of the meeting ends of rails and means for uniting them, so that the rails may be coupled firmly and securely together to prevent relative displacement and yet in such a manner as to enable them to be disconnected for repairs or renewal of parts when occasion requires.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a'rail joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends, showing the construction thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the meeting ends of a pair of rails, each of which is generally of conventional form, comprising a base 3, head at and vertical connecting web 5.

In accordance with my invention, the head 4 at the opposite ends of each rail is cut away the full depth thereof down to the upper edge of the web 5 for a suitable distance inwardly from the adjacent end of the base flange 5, so that the exposed portion of the upper surface of the web 5 forms a horizontal seat or bearing surface 6, and the web is extended outward beyond the end of the base flange to provide a coupling tongue or eX- tension 7 whose upper edge lies in the plane of and forms a continuation of said seat, said tongue and the adjacent portion of the body of the web being provided with elongated openings 8.

The tongue or extended portion of the web is reduced in thickness with respect to the thickness of the body of the web, and is in effect formed by halving the web from the outer end of the seat 6 outward, the construction being such as to provide a vertical abutting shoulder 9 at the outer end of the body of the web at the inner side of the inner end of the tongue and a plane seat rib 10 extending outwardly from the base of said shoulder parallel with the inner face of the tongue to the outer end of the base flange 3. It will be understood that the tongues at the opposite end of each rail are formed in rights and lofts, so that the right hand tongue at the end of the rail section 1, for instance, may bear against the outer face of the left hand tongue at the adjacent end of the rail section 2, so that such tongues will overlap throughout the entire length thereof.

Provided for bridging the space between the rail heads at the joint and uniting the lapping portions together is a coupling sleeve 11 having a head portion 12 conforming in contour to the head 4 of each rail. Below the head the sleeve is longitudinally slotted or bifurcated, as at 13, such slot extending through its lower edge and end and being coextensive in height with the coupling tongues of the respective rail sections which are adapted to fit therein, as shown in Fig. 2. This construction separates the lower portion of the coupling sleeve into opposed similar splice plates 14 provided with alined'openings l5 and having their lower edges beveled to conform to the inclination of the inclined upper faces of the base flanges of the rails. The plates 14: are provided with end extensions 16 to project beneath the heads of the rails beyond the joint when the parts are coupled together.

It will be understood that in uniting the meeting ends of the rails the rail ends are brought to a position to set the tongues 7 in overlapping relation, the outer end of the tongue of each rail bearing against the shoulder 9 and resting on the seat 10 of the other rail. The sleeve, which has been previously fitted upon one of the rail ends, and into which the end of the other rail is inserted to fit the tongues together in the manner described, thereupon bridges the space between the ends of the shortened rail heads and bridges across and forms the tread surface between the same, the plates 14 hearing against the opposite sides of the tongues 7 and holding them from lateral movement. The parts are then connected by the ordinary tie-bolts 17 passing through the openings 8 in the rails and registering openings 15 in the coupling sleeve and fitted with the usual clamping nuts 18. Then the parts are thus applied the rail ends will be held from relative longitudinal movement except to the slight extent for expansion and contraction, and will beheld from relative vertical movement by the coupling sleeve and the bearing of the ends of the tongues upon the respective seats 10. The lower edges of the plates 14 will further bear upon the base portions of the rails, while the upper ends of the extensions 16 will bear against the heads of the rails on opposite sides of the webs '5 and thus maintain the ends of the rails rigidly in alinement.

It will be seen-from the foregoing description that by the use of the improved joint construction herein described displacement to expose the upper edge of the web to form a bearing seat, said web beingprovided with a tongue projecting beyond the rail base and of less thickness than said web, thus providing a bearing shoulder atthe outer end of the web at one side of said tongue, the tongues of the rails being arranged to overlap and bear against the respective shoulders,

and a coupling sleeve embracing the overla pplng tongue and having a head portion forming a tread surface between the short.

ened rail heads and plates extending down on OPPOSltG'SldGS of the tongues and bearing on the'bases oi the rails, said plates being provided with end extensions projecting under the heads of the rails, and bolts coupling the rail ends and sleeve together.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. V HARSHALL F, TRENCHARD. Witnesses MAURICE J. TRANT, Bonn E. GERARD. 

